A Night Time Stroll
by HyperCaz
Summary: Lily Evans takes a walk at night and finds herself in the wake of a werewolf. She is saved by a stag and begins to have feelings for a certain JP...DISCONTINUED
1. Full Moon

Disclaimer: It all belongs to J.K.R.  
  
  
  
Lily Evans was never the type to break the rules, but then, not many people knew her well. A sixth year student, she kept to herself - and the library - often having the misfortune to have been pranked on too many times by the Marauders. She had lively red hair and startling green eyes; not that anyone noticed. Lily Evans was a loner but she liked it that way.  
  
This particular night, she was strolling along the lake, gazing up at the sky - and hoping Apollyon Pringle wouldn't catch her out of bed.  
  
"Oh, Lily," She murmured to herself, "When will you stop wishing that you never came here? Being a witch is far more exciting!"  
  
But there was always her sister, Petunia, to consider. Petunia had bullied her before the letter had arrived, but was that the only reason to stay at Hogwarts? Lily noticed that the moon was full and inviting. She'd never been out on the full moon before - perhaps she was afraid? She'd read about werewolves and no matter how it was impossible for one to be at Hogwarts, she still feared finding one on the deserted school grounds.  
  
Nervously, Lily shot a look over at the Whomping Willow. The tree was oddly still, its branches reaching towards the heavens. Lily jumped as an owl hooted nearby. She couldn't help herself - she laughed.  
  
I feel so stupid, She grinned, I'm the only one out here!  
  
Suddenly, a mournful howl rose from the Forbidden Forest, sending birds soaring into the air. Lily gasped as she squinted into the darkness. Almost as a ghost, a man-wolf rose from the ground, its eyes glittering dangerously.  
  
"Don't move, Lily," She whispered, "Don't move."  
  
The monster had not spotted her yet moved menacingly forward. Deep in the lake, the giant squid stirred.  
  
"Help," Lily managed softly.  
  
The sound of pounding hooves reached her ears, growing louder and louder until -  
  
A stag leaped and tackled the werewolf to the ground, ignoring the scratches the man-wolf inflicted upon it. Lily was taken by the beauty of the stag, so she remained rather than running. Another animal joint the fray, a large dog bristling at Lily as it bounded past. Breath taken, Lily watched as the were-wolf retreated to the Whomping Willow.  
  
Lily thought that the werewolf was backed against the tree; surely he couldn't get away! Lily blinked as the werewolf seemed to melt into the tree, vanishing from her sight. The dog followed, its growls loud from even that distance. Lily then thought the stag was sure to disappear, too, but it did not.  
  
Instead, it galloped towards her and paused, as thought it was considering what to do next. Slowly, its form writhed into a slender boy Lily knew well.  
  
"James Potter!" She gasped, "What happened?"  
  
His brown eyes flickered, not quite meeting hers. Silently, he began leading her back up to castle, his eyes the only source of his nervousness. Finally, at the snoozing Fat Lady he turned to her, "Tell no one of what you saw. The others.they didn't see you, but I'm sure if they did, you'd never be safe again. Sleep well, Lily Evans."  
  
She stepped forward to thank him, but suddenly he vanished into thin air. No stag replaced him - just empty cold air. Curious, Lily stood there, listening intently. She heard the swish of a cloak, and nothing more. Turning, she woke the Fat Lady and went inside.  
  
  
  
By HyperCaz  
  
Hoped you liked it - review if you wish! Should I add more chapters or leave it like that? 


	2. Dwelling on Dreams

Disclaimer: NOT MINE! Surprised? You should be.  
  
AN: I was never going to continue this, but. . .I got most of my reviews MONTHS after I posted so I guess I owe it to you guys. Dedicated mostly to DeAtHzLuLaByY for inspiring me.  
  
~~~  
  
Lily woke up later than usual, staring at the top of her four poster absently. She'd had the most wonderful dream the night before! It had turned from a nightmare into something quite pleasant. . .and the boy who she hated, who teased her, had come from nowhere to save her. She scowled a little at this, then remembered how graceful the stag had been, dancing amongst the stars. . .  
  
The witch threw open her curtains and swung her legs over the side, stretching, allowing a yawn to escape her. From far off in the distance, the shouting and cheers of a Quiddith match heralded a violent and bloody sport. Gryffindor vs Slytherin today. Lily slipped her feet into her ug boots and walked over the dormitory's ornate window, peering out at the brooms just visible against the overcast sky.  
  
She smiled sarcastically and turned back to her messy bed. It was then she noticed them. Sitting on her bedside table was an array of flowers with the soil still smeared across them. They were white lillies with upright green stems. Surprised, Lily picked them up and studied them as though they held some kind of threat. Well, who knew? The Marauders were always planning new pranks.  
  
She set them down on her pillow, muttering,  
  
"If you explode or anything, you'll be sorry."  
  
The lillies twinkled a little in the sun light spread across the bed, almost smiling innocently. Mentally cursing her own paranoia and stupidness, Lily got changed into her robes and made her way down to the empty common room.  
  
The fire crackled merrily, taking the chill out of the surroundings. The lone occupant sat by a window, eyes on the Quidditch game even though there was no possibilty in seeing what was going. By the sound of the combined cheering of three houses, she was willing to be that Gryffindor was in the lead.  
  
Her eyes travelled down to the Whomping Willow and she wondered about her dream. James Potter was not smart enough to be an Animagus, Lily conceded. So, just a dream then. Still doubtful, she rested her head on the side of the armchair and looked into the flickering flames absently. A nasty little voice in ehr head was telling her how lovely and graceful stags were and how James Potter could turn into one.  
  
"Shut up," Lily told the voice in her head crossly, "It was just a dream."  
  
Oh was it?  
  
Lily rubbed her forehead. She was really slipping up - hearing voices wasn't a particularly good thing. Even worse was answering. Even so, she found herself muttering,  
  
"Of course it was. I stayed right here all last night."  
  
Have you checked your shoes then? Muddy to the ankle.  
  
"Oh for cripes sake!" She said furiously and stormed out of the common room past the Fat Lady. She had no real desire to be talking to herself like that, when she could be reading up something in the library.  
  
However, her feet lead her out the front doors and down towards the Quidditch pitch. This did not sit well with Lily who was beginning to wonder about her own sanity. She caught sight of Snape sitting behind the stands with a group of Slytherins. Her lip twisted. Ungrateful little blighter, he was. . .  
  
Had it been so long ago, last year, when she'd tried to help him? Oh, forget it. Slytherins weren't exactly the people you think about for a very long space of time, especially if they called you "mudblood" just when you'd tried to save their sorry arse.  
  
Lily wound her way up the stairs of the the Gryffindor stand and paused at the opening, the roar of a crowd slamming into her with brute force. Finding it hard to breath, she put one foot in front of the other. She'd never liked crowds and frankly, had never been in one. Around her, housemates waved banners, each sporting a red and yellow scarf.  
  
She looked up at the game and squinted to see James Potter. The boy in question was performing giddy spins and curves high above, smirking as his admirers gasped in awre. Lily itched to slap his face. She bit her lip as he put on a sudden burst of concentration, diving for the ground. Her hands clenched before her, but she forced herself to relax. Who cared if he got hurt anyway?  
  
James rose, the struggling Snith clenched in his hand. The stands erupted in noise, the Slytherins' boos drowned out in roars of jubilation. Lily let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. Angry at herself, she made a hurried escape back across the grounds. It didn't do to dwell on dreams.  
  
~~~  
  
AN: Sorry, another short chapter. You can't be too mad - it's a few paragraphs longer! ;) Ah wells, if you want me to continue. . .  
  
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	3. Hitting first and last

Disclaimer: Ooh ah Glen McGra I don't think it's mine!  
  
To all my reviewers: this chapter is for you!  
  
~~~  
  
The Gryffindor common room was an explosion of noise, every house mate smiling with victory - except one. Lily Evans sat in a corner, holding her head in her hands. She was terrified that if she somehow caught the eye of her enemy he would know how confused she was feeling. Had he really been the stag, her rescuer?  
  
Across the room, James Potter was the toast of the gathering, distributing enough Butterbeer to get anyone suspicious. He wouldn't notice her, as if that was possible! Lily felt her lip trembling as she looked up almost expectantly. She didn't notice the milling crowds around her and the fireplace, just the handsome face of Potter. But that didn't mean he was just as nice inside. . .  
  
His brown eyes suddenly met hers and she blushed, looking down at her knees embarrassedly. He was probably already plotting how to use it to his advantage, the jerk. Lily jumped to her feet and hurried past the whirl of sound and colour, escaping into her dormitory. Sun shone through the windows and onto her pillow, lighting up the lilies there.  
  
If he had such dire motives, would he have left flowers? She collected them into her hand and smiled faintly, smoothing the petals gently. Well, she wasn't going to hang around and let James Potter tease her about it. She was going to hit first.  
  
~~~  
  
Strangled yells wake up the entire tower the next morning, the time on a Sunday most wished they could sleep in. Lily smiled guiltily to herself as she threw open the curtains of her four poster and hurried down with the rest of her dorm mates. She had to stifle a giggle when she saw Potter and his cronies each sporting fluro coloured hair.  
  
The rest of the house laughed and someone called out,  
  
"Looks like you boys got pranked!"  
  
The lanky one, Sirius, looked upset at this declaration and vowed vengeance to whoever it was. Lily smirked from the back of the collection of Gryffindors, loving every minute of it. With any luck, no one would suspect Lily "bookworm" Evans. And this wasn't the end - no, it was the beginning. The jerks were about to get their comeuppance big time.  
  
~~~  
  
By the next morning, the spell had worn off and the much disgruntled pranksters went to the Great Hall like the rest of the school for breakfast. Lily had the next one set up, watching them avidly and with a twisted smile. By chance, the four ended up opposite her, arguing amongst themselves on how to get back on an anonymous prankster.  
  
Lily shifted her eyes back down to her plate immediately and out of habit. Shaking off her discomfort, she lashed out with her foot hard and by the pained expression on Potter's face, struck home. It was stupid to do, she reflected, seeing as she was about to prank them again. She expected him to challenge her but all he did was merely shrug. So much for stirring him up.  
  
She waited for most of the school to file in before she got ready to set it off. Just as she was about to, the loud cluttering at the windows signalled the arrival of the owls. Startled, she lost her grip on the wand and had to dive under the table to get it. Lily sat back up and her eyes slid over Potter's mail. Her breath caught in her throat.  
  
It was a black letter, sent by the Ministry. It always meant one thing; the Dark Lord had attacked again. She saw many, too many, black letters being delivered. James opened his quickly, then reading it, his shoulders sagged. One landed in front of Sirius but he only gave it a contemptuous glance before burning it to ashes with his wand. This wouldn't be the time to hit them with another prank.  
  
Lily stood up suddenly and hurried from the Great Hall, not wanting to hang around. She couldn't stand the palpable atmosphere in there, the way hopelessness drifted around from table to table. Even a couple of Slytherins looked subdued. Outside, she rested her forehead on the wall and asked quietly,  
  
"Why? Why can't we stop him?"  
  
"Because we let him get away with it," Said a soft voice behind her.  
  
She spun and bit hard onto her lip until it bled to keep herself from making a sound. It was him, that Potter jerk, but without his cronies. Lily's eyes must have betrayed some of the old fear because he put his hands up in a peaceful gesture,  
  
"There is nothing waiting behind corners this moment, I promise. You asked why we can't stop Voldemort," He didn't even pause over the name, "I gave you what I thought. Most of my family are in the Ministry, even more of a portion of that are Aurors. Even though we can't, as you say, stop him, we at least try. Don't let. . ." James looked over into the Great Hall, "Don't let that crowd get to you."  
  
With that, he disappeared back into the hall to join his friends. Lily Evans stood there, frozen with surprise until the impact of what he had said hit her. "We at least try" struck something within her that no book or poem could ever do. While there were still people on their side, they could continue fighting the Dark Lord and his minions.  
  
They must at least try.  
  
~~~  
  
Pleased? A longer chapter! I swear these are getting longer each time. . . 


	4. Transfiguration Problems

Disclaimer: I own a few paperclips. Yep, I'm proud. So I guess that means I don't own Harry Potter?  
  
Reviewers: This fic likes to keep reminding me "I'm here!" so. . .voila.  
  
~~~  
  
James Potter was oddly silent during Transfiguration, but his friends incorrectly guessed that he was brooding about the death of his uncle. Professor McGonagall's voice dropped into a drone, much like that of Binns', until James could no longer distinguish each syllable. He was thinking about Lily Evans. She rarely spoke to anyone, her only friends those in the books she read.  
  
She wouldn't understand the fear of having nearly everyone in the family in law enforcement. Her parents were Muggles, unaware Muggles. James stared unblinkingly at the object of his thoughts, only looking away when emerald eyes met his. What was she thinking? The Dark Mark was a real threat now, not a parlour game. But she was Muggle-born. What would she know?  
  
Lily Evans stared defiantly at him, but he wasn't looking back. He'd gone straight from a kind stranger to the same old bastard in the space of five minutes. She scowled and tried, however absently, to take notes down. She hated anyone who had even one non-Muggle parent. Purebloods were particularly bad - they lorded it over Muggle borns.  
  
Lily was unhappy, even in her untouched solitude. Her sister hated her, her old friends hated her. Just for being "different". And for six years, she'd been hated for the same reason. Where did she belong? Sudden movement from the students started her. The lesson was over - where had the time gone? Lily shouldered her bag and followed them, head bowed.  
  
"Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall asked politely, "Could you stay behind please?"  
  
Lily sighed and spun around, wiping her exasperation from her face. Quietly, she perched on a seat nearer to the door than her teacher. She waited patiently while McGonagall packed up notes and odd things from the organised desk at the front of the classroom. It seemed ages before the professor had finished and gave her a concerned look,  
  
"Your grades across several other classes are outstanding, more than enough, if I may say so, to become Head Girl next year. However, it remains to be seen if you are able to keep up with a N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class."  
  
Lily stiffened. She knew she wasn't any good at the subject and it miffed her to find Potter better at it than her. If it had been solely her choice, she would have skipped Transfiguration all together. But during Careers Counselling the previous year, she'd expressed an interest in teaching and had been advised to know almost everything.  
  
Lily said carefully,  
  
"I would like to give up Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall, and please don't persuade me otherwise."  
  
"Don't be silly," McGonagall told her sternly, "You've topped the grade since you came here; it's just your marks in this class pulling you down. You'll be aware that you only scraped in an Acceptable for your Transfiguration O.W.Ls but were allowed in this class. I believe you are capable or I would not have accepted your grade."  
  
Lily had wondered at the beginning of her sixth year why she had managed it into the N.E.W.T. Transfiguration class if McGonagall only accepted Exceeds Expectations. But still, the professor thought she was "capable". Coming from the stern Head of Gryffindor, that was almost a compliment. Lily unstuck her throat,  
  
"Well, if you think so, I'll give it a go. I just don't understand where I'm going wrong - I've studied several - "  
  
McGonagall raised a hand to silence her,  
  
"Sometimes, Miss Evans, it is the practical that counts. History of Magic may involve thought and essays of Giant Wars, but this class requires a wand."  
  
Lily nodded briskly and scooted out the door before the old bat could keep her any longer.  
  
~~~  
  
That evening in the Common Room, she put a match on the table in front of her. A first year's exercise - turning it into a needle. Carefully, she lined it up with her parchment and raised her wand. Lily was about to cast the spell when a hand took hers and straightened it.  
  
"It's not just the words, you know," Said a voice behind her ear.  
  
Lily scowled,  
  
"I would have to be a surly Pureblood not to know that."  
  
She nudged her elbow hard into the ribs of the person behind her and James Potter backed up a bit. Lily smiled over her shoulder and raised her wand again at the match. Her observer almost immediately took hold of the wand again.  
  
"You're doing it wrong," Potter remarked casually, "And you're treating it like a Charms subject, Prefect Evans. Transfiguration is the changing of one thing to another."  
  
Lily glared at him and snapped back,  
  
"And Charms actually requires the usage of a wand and not throwing a cushion across the room just because you can't banish it."  
  
James feigned surprise,  
  
"You noticed that, Prefect Evans?"  
  
Lily ignored him and instead began her Potions essay. Her uninvited guest hovered just out of her peripheral vision for a moment then vanished. Relieved that he had finally gone, Lily hunched over her essay. She wrote methodically, while thinking about Transfiguration and Death Eaters at the same time. A flash flew past her ear and the match sitting on her parchment turned into a needle.  
  
"Can't you just take a hint?" She exploded.  
  
Several people near looked up at her, startled. They were usually accustomed to a very quiet prefect who couldn't string two sentences together unless it was answering a teacher in class. Lily jumped to her feet and pointed a finger at the accused,  
  
"Potter, if you so much as BREATHE on me I will cause enough mayhem in the next class to deduct FIFTY points from Gryffindor!"  
  
"Ouch," James looked truly hurt by the mention of house points.  
  
By now, the Common Room had gone deathly quiet. Lily's face was completely red, matching her hair seamlessly. The tension was electric as she gathered up her books and stormed angrily to the portrait hole. She paused and turned around,  
  
"I warn you, Potter. I would go to detention rather than be within ten feet of you."  
  
Lily glared around the room and disappeared out of sight. 


End file.
